Here’s a sweet tune that has been played on the reg in #5. My first memory of the band Travis is from high school, right around the time Coldplay’s Parachutes came out and introduced a British invasion for the new millennium. Chris Martin was on the cover of some music magazine with his face surrounded by quotes from the interview, one of them as I recall was “We’re not Travis!” [another favorite of ours at the time: “I thought I was gay!” Paging Gwynnie]. This declaration of difference led me to check out the band Coldplay sought to distance itself from. Aaaand thus I learned that Travis is better. Snap!

I must begin by directing you lovely reeders to my first post as a guest writer! Stepping away from my Pose-y persona [it does happen on occasion], I am talking tea over at GarbanzoGreen. You can read my Tea Time Guest Post here and behold my beautiful new GOLD TRIMMED tea cup and saucer below! Gone are the days of tea as a stuffy ritual for the Monarchy. My hot beverage heart belongs to coffee, but tea is a close second and a great all-day drank. Mucho thanks to Ms. GG for her support and the post opportunity.

Photo cred: iPoseCity

On to the newz:
Can I get an OMFG?! So much going on in the Fashion Universe!! It is quite overwhelming. The Spring Haute Couture shows in Paris have come to a close yesterday and I’ve enjoyed heading over to NYT: Fashion & Style, as per usual, to get the best recaps of all the dreamy duds. I must say that the Dior show blew my dear little mind. I just barely brought up the shows with a coworker last night and she immediately mentioned John Galliano’s latest work as her stand-out favorite. I couldn’t agree more! One particular look I cannot get out of my head:

These images are so beautiful and the detail work on the garments is awe inspiring- so makes me wish I could see/touch clothes of this quality in person. That is what couture is all about, afterall: the grandness, the over-the-top presentation, the “who would ever wear that” reactions. LOVE IT ALL. A great slideshow of various designer’s Spring 2011 Couture offerings here.

DVF, FTW: This article is a few days old, but a nice quick write up about Ms. Von Furstenberg. I so admire her as a female role model:

“Diane has made stepping stones of strength and independence, deciding early in life that she was always going to drive her own bus and financially support her own lifestyle.“

Greetings Pose-rs!
I have returned to Earth after the interstellar fashion orbit I was catapulted into last post. Phew! Am fighting feelings of silliness after my proclamation of “fame,” as I have not heard from madam Neat Sheet since the insta-contributer status she bestowed on me a few days ago. Sigh.. am hoping she is just hella bizzy with PDX Fashion Week and will be in touch once it is all over. I, however, have not been following PFW for a few reasons. Okay, for one big reason: MONEY. I suppose I could justify spending the $20-$30 per show (or $100 for Wed-Sun pass, I think) by breaking it down in terms of thismanycupsofcoffee, but really, I’d rather just not. Case closed.

I am currently enjoying a quite cozy perch at the tea cafe down the street. Getting out and not “going out” is perfect for this Friday. I am not so distracted as I am in #5 and I have just come up for air/the keyboard after getting lost in Paris Fashion Week shows that I’ve all but ignored until today [bad, bad fashion blogger!]. I still have so much to view so I am just going to muse about one perennial favorite for now. Ready, set, break it down!

Miu Miu: Welp, color me impressed, Miuccia! Ms. Prada has a special place in my heart due to her always innovative print advertisements. Her and her team are responsible for such dreamy images as the ones below, in addition to creating the “must have bag” season after season.

Her Miu Miu line, described by Wikipedia as the “high fashion brand from the Prada fashion house,” started in 1992. The Spring 2011 show is a vision in neon saturated silk, a pleated paradise, a shoe fetishist’s wet dream. I wish I knew more about fabrics and textiles so I could somewhat accurately describe what I’ve seen (as accurate as I can get via web images). Highlights for me were the uniquely adorned necklines and the SHOES. Now I am not a shoe freak, but OMG, every model had on a different pair of amazing heels! Electric green straps, lace up anklets, an updated take on the saddle shoes of my youth… just go look at the show, already! SWOON.

I do wonder what happens to those lovely clothes post-runway. Where do they live? Do they ever see a body other than that of the model who wears them for a hot trot down the catwalk? Questions!

I fear that my antsy nature prevents me from being as thorough a blogger as I could be, for I am about to jump out of my seat due to prolonged sitting. Sign off, I must.
Please visit NYT Fashion & Style for all the Spring 2011 goodness your little heart could desire.
Until next pose… keep it flashy and never more than juuuuust a bit trashy!

Hello my sweets. Rain is falling, #5 is cozy, time to play some much needed/wanted catch-up time on the Interwebz!! Sigh, due to “personal internet use” crack-down at work [seriously, do they not know it is Fashion Week for heaven’s sake?!], and just being busy there in general, I have been feeling so very behind. I catch (sneak) glimpses here and there during the day, and it just teases me! Then by the time I get home, I am so sick of staring at the computer all day that the last thing I want to do is send my peepers further into glaze-over town. Conundrum! Rest easy, though, tonight I shall post just as foxy as I pose. Take THAT!

Ok ok ok.. first I must guuuush on what I just* found (although apparently it was posted a WHOLE WEEK ago.. that is how lagging behind I am! Ashamed!) on HuffPost Arts. Japanese artist, and frequent Marc-y J collaborator @ Louis Vuitton, Takashi Murakami has pieces on view at.. wait for it… VERSAILLES. Gah! It’s like my two favorite things- bright/unique/MJ approved foreign art AND Marie Antoinette’s palace- combined. Good Lordy, what would happen if I went? Combustion from sensory joy, certainly. Here is the palace’s, ahem, chateau’s, official site for the exhibition, running from September 14-December 12, 2010. Amazing!

Another recent find that has brought me great joy is the release of aforementioned Marc J’s first fragrance for men, Bang. I saw the first print ad when I was at Bishops the other day- MJ reclining, topless, oiled up, flexing his bicep & gazing at a bottle of Bang. OMG! Like! The ad was classic MJ, simple white page, except for the outrageously decadent image, top/center. I beg you to check it out online- oh yes, he does have an entire site devoted to Bang– and view the photos and videos. Hope they make you just as giddy!

Now, onward to the main event(s)! On tap for the rest of the evening is a viewing of the feature CBS aired last night about behind the scenes of Fashion’s Night Out 09.10.10. Head over to CBS.com to view the full episode… I cannot wait!

GreatGreatGREAT stuff coming down the runway, eh?? Granted, this IS the most I’ve ever paid attention to Fashion Week in my life, but I just cannot help but think that the collections this year are transcendent. I find myself appreciating pieces in EVERY collection… even designers that are totally not my aesthetic [paging Jeremy Scott] are killing it! Weeee!

I have to share this adorable account of HuffPost blogger Anya Strzemien’s first MJ show.. I have a feeling I’d be too paralyzed by delight to even get this much down on a notepad/computer/tissue wet with my tears of joy. Speaking of the Master, head to NYT Fashion & Style to view both Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 collections. Thank me later.

Like I said, I have lots of catching up to do personally. So I’ll just put my reviews on reservation and take my own advice. I will share the shows I am most excited to view later: Marchesa, Proenza Schouler, Alice + Olivia, Mulberry, Rodarte, Rachel Roy… ok ok you get my drift.

Happy Viewing!

OH.. and one more thing.. was reading September ELLE in bed last night (rough life, I know) and I came across a great article about Opening Ceremony, a retail… project, I’ll call it… in NYC, LA and Tokyo. Totally engrossing read, am currently fascinated with finding out more about them. Look into that when you can, as well (after Fashion Week shows, aaaand after sponsoring my trip to Versailles, obvi).

Well.. hello! Good morning Sunday. You know how I am fond of these mornings. Currently jamming to this and feeling groovy as my java kicks in. I am also having trouble concentrating on typing, due to the super cute mani I got last night with Lauren at Beauty Bar Portland! I’ve coined the color “Betsey Johnson Pink,” if that gives you any indication of it’s brightness. Love! If ever in the Rose City, I beg you check out BB… fun, female-centric vibe, a place that truly captures all of my senses. Plus, walking downtown last night, we passed the Nordstrom storefront where my Marc-y J bag was prominently displayed among other hot Fall bags. Will try and post a pic later. Score!

I digress… nails are fit to be distracting, though ; ).

So.. a little event called Fashion Week is officially in full swing. As indicated by my last post, I am overwhelmed by all the coverage. I’ve even heard of some designers allowing live streams of their runway shoes, giving us access to the excitement no matter where we are in the world. This is SO inspiring to me, the way technology is transforming the industry’s reach. I mean, here PoseCity sits on the West Coast, and with a few easy clicks on the computer, I can be transported to the front row of [insert hot-ticket show here], thousands of miles away. Then, I can call Mama PoseCity in the Midwest and debrief on what we both have seen all in “real time”. Squeal!!

A few thoughts on what I’ve seen so far [all slide-show links courtesy of NYT]:

Philosophy di Alberta Feretti: How fun and colorful is this collection?! I am not crazy about the Asian inspired hats, but I don’t even care. Love the pinks and oranges, they pop from the screen- would love to be front row for this show, the colors would totally blow my mind in person. And the carpet? Equal parts crazy and obnoxious and I think it is killer. A risk worth taking.

Zac Posen: This show gets a big thumbs up for me, not because of the clothes per say, but because of the amazing styling! Bravo, NYT, for the option to scroll over an image for a “big photo” for more detailed viewing, because then you can really see the small style choices that take a show to the next level. I love that he doesn’t rely solely on his clothes, but rather creates a whole look. The hair, make-up and nails (love love!) on these models is so fresh and fits well with the collection. A few favorites, by photo number: 12. Blue shiny coat with broaches, 18. Flirty, sexy gray dress, 26. Yellow ruffled blouse with black blazer and black belt.
My only dislikes were the glasses, lace up black shoes (yuck) and that print with people’s faces that appeared a few times.

Charlotte Ronson: Very curious to view her show, if only for the fact that I like her name (Chaaaaarlotttteeee, so dreamy) and she’s related to Samantha of LiLo’s lady friend fame. Hey, whatever gets people paying attention, right?? Welp, she totally hooked me. I am crazy about this show, probably because it is the most relatable to me thus far. I jotted the following words: young, urban, nose ring, hot, sheer, hot, prints, grunge, hot, hot(t). Looks 1-5 pulled me in right away, the muted reds and sorta grandma-ish print are killer together. Hate the socks with open toed shoes (really, what IS the deal?? Seen this waaay too much on the runway lately) and the few all denim looks she did missed the mark. But even when the prints got a little “prairie” for me, the styling kept the looks urban. Favorites: 13. Want on my body right now. I have the tights and Frye’s just send it, Charly!, 25. 27. 36. All amazing. And 37. how cute is she?! Take a bow, babydoll.

PHEW.. that is all for now my dears. Eyes are starting to glaze. More later I hope, lots on my mind (per usual).

Le sigh… I am ALREADY feeling overwhelmed by FNO/Fashion Week coverage and neither event has even started yet! Gah! Due to a rare week at work away from a computer, I feel like I’ve been playing catch up ever since I got home, trying to read/process/vet through all of the info I have coming in from all of my trusty sources. Whew! The following is what I’ve been able to gather thus far, and I obvi share with you. However, I do confess that I do not feel prepared to comment a lot myself yet. Patience, dear reader, we will forge ahead together! Fashion will not fall by the wayside. Nope nope nope.

Ok ok ok…
I guess it is safe to say that Fashion’s Night Out launched last night, although the actual event isn’t until Friday. My biggest source for all this has surprisingly been the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Facebook page. Follow them, for realz. Very informative and reliable. They provided the following link to Vogue’s site, as well as tons of videos and clips from last night.
Check out at your leisure, not going to post each one (too bad so sad).

I will share this, courtesy of CFDA via Vogue, as aforementioned. BEAUTIFUL images-view slideshow or thumbnails- of the line up from last night’s show. Amazing.

Also, my BFFs at HuffPost Style provided a pretty great run-down of events for Friday. I even learned about an appearance by Queen & King of Cool, the Gordon/Moore family of Sonic Youth fame, debuting Kim’s designs set to tunes courtesy of Thurston.

Golly, just to be out that night.. I know the energy will be so positive and creative. What is the fair Rose City doing to celebrate FNO? Well, glad you asked! Check out the Merc’s write up about what will be going on downtown. PoseCity will be there.. will you? Shall we come up with a certain code pose to strike whence we see each other?